Quilt Recipients

WisePiper

A few days ago, the Daily Kos community was stunned by WisePiper's diary announcing that he won't be with us much longer. He has lung cancer and has been told he has only 4 to 6 months left.

Given that the last part of those months is likely to be awful and that he lives in a State where Physician Assisted Suicide ("PAS") is lawful, he is making a different arrangement. He wrote:

I AM HAPPY! I am shout-it-from-the-rooftop HAPPY!

I live in Washington State. Washington is one of three states that has legalized Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS). The others are Oregon and Vermont. (Montana has "decriminalized" PAS - a distinction I won't belabor here.)

As a resident of Washington, I have the legal right to look Cancer in the face and say, "FUCK you! YOU don't get to dictate the time and manner of my death - I do."

Per the sensible requirements of the PAS law, I'll be discussing my choice with a social worker this week, and I'll be making my first oral request to one of my treating physicians to prescribe "the cocktail." After a mandated two week think-it-over period, I'll be making my second request. With two physicians directly knowledgeable about my case concurring that I have less than six months to live and that I'm mentally competent to make the decision to end my own life, I'll be given the prescription, which I'll ingest on the day of my choosing.

The day of my choosing is Sunday, July 26 - less than two months from today.

More than one person wrote to me and asked if we should do a quilt for WisePiper -- so I asked him. I told him we could get it done quickly so that he would have time to enjoy it and that it would be a keepsake for his family after he is gone. He graciously accepted. If we can get at least 44 messages in tonight (more will be fine!) Ann and I will make it so -- as quickly as humanly possible.

WisePiper has an appointment this afternoon and will be a bit late to the diary -- but he will be here. So let's get started!